


Somehow, Something

by imaydisappear



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, One Shot, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 19:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10669287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaydisappear/pseuds/imaydisappear
Summary: It wasn't exactly Tsunade who set them free but she did give a necessary blessing.





	Somehow, Something

"Do you ever wish you'd never met him, baa-chan?" Tsunade looked down at Naruto who had his face pressing to the cool surface of the table in the bar they've been drinking in. The alcohol in their bloodstream got him a little hot apparently. And without him being clarified Tsunade knew what they were talking about. The question was, however, why Naruto was asking this. Regardless, her answer was the same "Never." and she downed the last bit of her cup before asking for another.

There was a bout of silence before he continued. "Does it get any easier? Do you still love him?" Naruto wasn't holding back tonight. No playing the oblivious. "It gets bearable kid but there's no such thing as getting over." She said slowly and took another look at his way. It was heartbreaking to see Naruto in obvious pain. He was just so young to be going through all these. "I guessed as much." He said, laughing with no humor to it.

When he sat upright again there was his usual grin on his face with just the slightest sad and tired turn to it. It made Tsunade wonder how many of his smiles were for the sake of others. So young, she thought and had nothing she could do but be his drink buddy. "I'm gonna be Hokage you know. Kakashi won't let it be long before he steps down. And I'm gonna be Hokage. I'm gonna have a beautiful wife couple of kids and a village to protect, to love and be loved by. The dream." He said looking at something, somewhere she couldn't see. "And I got my bestfriend saved, yeah?" Naruto looked at her now and she almost wished he didn't. The smile was still right there but his blues never seemed this vast, this empty. "The dream." he said again looking like he was reliving a nightmare.

He didn't talk again for a long time and when he did it was almost like sitting on the couch, drinking coffee. Something routine, something familiar. "Ne ne baa-chan can we go get some ramen?" He rubbed his stomach and gave a brilliant grin with closed eyes. She couldn't help but take the escape Naruto granted her. "Let's go gaki. I'll even treat ya." She wasn't surprised as she was relieved when he fisted the air in obvious pleasure.  She was, however, surprised when she noticed the genuinity in his actions. It was an easier picture now. He wasn't an actor, he was just considerate. Somehow it left a more bitter taste in her mouth than her drink.

The way to Ichiraku -which was open at this late conveniently- was uneventful. She took sips from her sake and he whistled as he walked, arms crossed behind his head. Naruto greeted the old man in his exuberant way and started listing many different flavored ramen he wanted. Ichiraku shot her a exasperated look when Naruto said that she was treating him as if to mourn her wallet but she paid it no mind and wished everything got solved with a few bowls of ramen. Now, Tsunade thought to herself, this must be Naruto's voice talking in my head.

Of course Naruto after loudly saying his thanks, proceeded to inhale his food. Tsunade kept a slower pace but surprisingly she was hungry too. Maybe it was because of something inside her itching to speak up, to ask. So she busied her mouth with food. Even though the something inside her waged a remarkable war the rest of the meal was silent - save for the sounds of Naruto effortlessly vacuuming his noodles-. 

After they had eaten they took to sit in silence for a while. Or really, tried to because Ichiraku declared it late -he was right- and said he had to close the stand. Tsunade paid her due and they were off again. "I will walk you to home, baa-chan." Naruto had said. The walk to her home would be silent and uneventful too if it wasn't for a certain statue on their way. After the war was over, famous missing traitors were brought home, promises given years ago were kept; Naruto, as a hero in his own right and holding some power to himself, demanded the fate of the Uchiha clan and Itachi Uchiha made known. It helped that the current Hokage was also supportive of this demand. And soon some of the past mistakes were beginnnig to be atoned for. As if rehearsed they both come to a stop before it. Only to see the last living heir of the long dead clan.

Uchiha Sasuke. The name brought a frown upon her lips but she didn't say anything. Surprisingly -or not, she couldn't tell really- neither did Naruto. The former missing nin gave her a curt nod of acknowledgement then turned to Naruto. Then she knew there was a conversation being held with no words, no gestures other than eyes finding each other and gazing. Understanding Naruto was easier than it was Sasuke. He was looking around and it was a fairly easy guess to say he was looking for the Anbu that was ordered to tail Sasuke. He was given a lot freedom for the misdeeds done to his clan and his help in the war. When she saw them locking eyes again she also saw how Naruto's eyes lost their shine a bit more. Their connection was too spiritual for her to say truthfully she had a grasp of it but she still didn't like how it seemed to make Naruto suffer. She didn't like how it seemed to chain Naruto down.

She cleaned her throat and felt like she just interrupted something sacred. It might as well be if Uchiha's side look towards her was anything to go by but Naruto just chuckled apologetically and scratched his neck. "A-ah sorry, baa-chan we should get going." and without another word to neither herself nor Uchiha he started walking down the path to her home. After a beat she followed the suit.

The walk was almost over and it was almost an irredeemable mistake. It was awful but it was necessary in the grand scheme of things. But still it was disgusting. It was, a drunk villager seeing Naruto and flinching then saying nine-tails related things with  some really colorful curses. Naruto, to his credit, took this all in stride and just kept on walking her to home. They didn't talk about it, didn't even acknowledge it happened but it got her thinking the rest of the way. It got her looking at Naruto in a different light. It got her to realize how tired he looked for 19 year old. Before she knew it the something that had been holding its silence made itself known again. "Gaki, you know if you wanted you could go on a vacation." even if she decided she wanted to talk, this wouldn't what she would be saying but somehow this was what came out. 

It made Naruto look at her in surprise and before he could say anything something in his expression got her talking again. " Maybe a long one you know. You deserve it after all. You could take someone with you and take a break." What was she talking about even she didn't know. But it didn't stop Naruto from responding with a knowing, longing expression "Nah, baa-chan you would miss me too much." Somehow this wasn't about vacation but Tsunade wouldn't be able to tell what it really was about at that moment. It didn't stop her either. "You could always visit. You are a brilliant kid, Naruto. If you wanted you could find a way. ". It was the right thing to say. It felt right even though the myriad of expressions on Naruto's face was overwhelming. And when hope shined through she knew it would be followed by his famous single-minded determination. It was Naruto after all.

His kiss on her cheek felt like another kind of farewell.

When the news came, a month after, Tsunade was just sitting on her couch, drinking her coffee. Apparently the former missing nin had become a current missing nin again and a blonde loud mouth knuckle head ninja was nowhere to be found. She had a lot of time to think about Naruto and Uchiha that was holding him down. And she had come to realize that maybe, maybe it wasn't the Uchiha that was the shackle on Naruto's indomitable spirit. Maybe it was Naruto himself tying himself to this village for he had loved them all despite everything. Maybe it was the village that was forcing him to choose between his de facto family and his other half. Maybe it was the whole world with its rules and demands that had Naruto pursuing a dream that would only bring him pain.

Missing nins, huh.

Oh well. Tsunade wasn't worried. For together Naruto and Sasuke were the yin and yang, night and day. They were inseparable. They were the sun and moon and something as insignificant as the world wouldn't be able to hold them down. It never had a chance.

**Author's Note:**

> After the war and Kakashi is hokage but I wanted Tsunade because Tsunade. It's my first fanfiction ever and it's being published on impulse (it may disappear too). Thank you for reading, feel free to point out my mistakes both vocabulary, grammer - wise and story-telling. Have a nice day/night. (Also please excuse my poor attempts to break it down to paragpraphs I wrote this on my phone.)


End file.
